For so they seem: they have left their barge, and landed; And hither make, as great ambassadors From foreign princes. Wol. Good lord Chamberlain, Go, give them welcome, you can speak the French tongue: And, pray, receive them nobly, and conduct them, Tables removed. You have now a broken banquet; but we 'll mend it. A good digestion to you all: and, once more, I shower a welcome on you;-Welcome all. Hautboys. Enter the King, and twelve Others, as Maskers, habited like Shepherds, with sixteen Torch-bearers; ushered by the Lord Chamberlain. They pass directly before the Cardinal, and gracefully salute him. A noble company! what are their pleasures? Cham. Because they speak no English, thus they pray'd This night to meet here, they could do no less, But leave their flocks; and, under your fair conduct, 7 they have left their barge,] See p. 230, n. 1. Malone. 8 Enter the King, and twelve others, as Maskers,] For an account of this masquerade, see Holinshed, Vol. II, p. 921. Steevens. The account of this masquerade was first given by Cavendish, in his Life of Wolsey, which was written in the time of Queen Mary; from which Stowe and Holinshed copied it. Cavendish was himself present. Before the King, &c. began to dance, they requested leave (says Cavendish) to accompany the ladies at mumchance. Leave being granted, "then went the masquers, and first saluted all the dames, and then returned to the most worthiest, and then opened the great cup of gold filled with crownes, and other pieces to cast at.-Thus perusing all the gentlewomen, of some they wonne, and to some they lost. And having viewed all the ladies they returned to the Cardinal with great reverence, pouring downe all their gold, which was above two hundred crownes. At all, quoth the Cardinal, and casting the die, he wonne it; whereat was made great joy." Life of Wolsey, p. 22, edit. 1641. Malone. Crave leave to view these ladies, and entreat Wol. Say, lord chamberlain, They have done my poor house grace; for which I pay them A thousand thanks, and pray them take their pleasures. [Ladies chosen for the Dance. The King chooses ANNE BULLEN. K. Hen. The fairest hand I ever touch'd! O, beauty, Till now I never knew thee. [Music. Dance. Wol. My lord, Cham. Wol. Your grace? Pray, tell them thus much from me: There should be one amongst them, by his person, More, worthy this place than myself; to whom, If I but knew him, with my love and duty I would surrender it. Cham. I will, my lord. [Cham. goes to the Company, and returns. Wol. What say they ? Cham. Such a one, they all confess, There is, indeed; which they would have your grace Find out, and he will take it.9 Wol. Let me see then. [Comes from his State. By all your good leaves, gentlemen;-Here I'll make My royal choice. K. Hen. You have found him, cardinal:1 [Unmasking. You hold a fair assembly; you do well, lord: 9 Wol. I am glad, -take it.] That is, take the chief place. Johnson. 1 You have found him, cardinal:] Holinshed says the Cardinal mistook, and pitched upon Sir Edward Neville; upon which the King laughed, and pulled off both his own mask and Sir Edward's. Edwards's MSS. Steevens. 2 unhappily.] That is, unluckily, mischievously. Johnson. So, in A merye Feste of a man called Howleglas, bl. 1. no date: in such manner colde be cloke and hyde his unhappinesse and falsnesse." Steevens. 66 Your grace is grown so pleasant. K. Hen. My lord chamberlain, Pr'ythee, come hither: What fair lady 's that? Cham. An 't please your grace, sir Thomas Bullen's daughter, The viscount Rochford, one of her highness' women. K. Hen. By heaven, she is a dainty one.-Sweetheart, I were unmannerly, to take you out, And not to kiss you. A health, gentlemen, Let it go round. - Wol. Sir Thomas Lovell, is the banquet ready I' the privy chamber? Your grace, I fear, with dancing is a little heated.4 K. Hen. I fear, too much. Wol. In the next chamber. There's fresher air, my lord, 3 I were unmannerly, to take you out, And not to kiss you.] A kiss was anciently the established fee of a lady's partner. So, in A Dialogue between Custom and Veritie, concerning the Use and Abuse of Dauncing and Minstrelsie, bl. 1. no no date, "Imprinted at London, at the long shop adjoining unto saint Mildred's church in the Pultrie, by John Allde:" "But some reply, what foole would daunce, If that when daunce is doon, "He may not have at ladyes lips "That which in daunce he woon?" Steevens. See Vol. II, p. 38, n. 2. Malone. This custom is still prevalent, among the country people, in many, perhaps all parts, of the kingdom. When the fiddler thinks his young couple have had music enough, he makes his instrument squeak out two notes which all understand to say kiss her! Ritson. 4 a little heated] The King, on being discovered and desired by Wolsey to take his place, said that he would "first go and shift him: and thereupon went into the Cardinal's bedchamber, where was a great fire prepared for him, and there he new appareled himselfe with rich and princely garments. And in the king's absence the dishes of the banquet were cleane taken away, and the tables covered with new and perfumed clothes.Then the king took his seat under the chloath of estate, commanding every person to sit still as before; and then came in a new banquet before his majestie of two hundred dishes, and so they passed the night in banqueting and dancing untill morning." Cas vendish's Life of Wolsey. Malone. K. Hen. Lead in your ladies, every one.-Sweet part ner, I must not yet forsake you:-Let's be merry ;- To lead them once again; and then let 's dream ACT II.....SCENE I. A Street. Enter Two Gentlemen, meeting. 1 Gent. Whither away so fast? 2 Gent. O,-God save you!6 Even to the hall, to hear what shall become 1 Gent. I'll save you That labour, sir. All's now done, but the ceremony Of bringing back the prisoner. 2 Gent. 1 Gent. Yes, indeed, was I. 2 Gent. Were you there? Pray, speak, what has happen'd? 1 Gent. You may guess quickly what. 2 Gent. Is he found guilty? 1 Gent. Yes, truly, is he, and condemn'd upon it. 2 Gent. I am sorry for 't. 1 Gent. So are a number more. 2 Gent. But, pray, how pass'd it? 1 Gent. I'll tell you in a little. The great duke Came to the bar; where, to his accusations, 5 I, 1602: Let the musick knock it.] So, in Antonio and Mellida, Part "Fla. Faith, the song will seem to come off hardly. 60,-God save you!] Surely, (with Sir Thomas Hanmer) we should complete the measure by reading: O, sir, God save you! Steevens. He pleaded still, not guilty, and alleg'd At which appear'd against him, his surveyor; 2 Gent. That fed him with his prophecies? 1 Gent. That was he, The same. All these accus'd him strongly; which he fain Have found him guilty of high treason. Much Was either pitied in him, or forgotten. 2 Gent. After all this, how did he bear himself? 1 Gent. When he was brought again to the bar,-to hear His knell rung out, his judgment, he was stirr'd Sure, he does not, He never was so womanish; the cause 2 Gent. Certainly, The cardinal is the end of this. 1 Gent. 'Tis likely, By all conjectures: First, Kildare's attainder, 7 To him brought viva voce, to his face:] This is a clear error of the press. We must read-have instead of-him. M. Mason. 8 Was either pitied in him, or forgotten.] Either produced no effect, or produced only ineffectual pity. Malone. 9 he sweat extremely,] This circumstance is taken from Holinshed: "After he was found guilty, the duke was brought to the bar, sore-chafing, and sweat marvelously," Steevens. |